but did they tell you the cost of greatness?
by MedusaOfTheSpecies
Summary: 1991: Harry chooses his ambitions. Ginny will not let her demons stop her from getting answers. The world is set aflame. :: Slytherin!Hinny, for AJ


**A/N:** **This is for the wonderful AJ. I'm sorry that this comes so late and so long. Still, I hope you enjoy chapter one of this and the Slytherin!Hinny.**

 _Beta'ed by AJ also because she's lovely and I'm horrible._

X

What about Harry, who has hero written in every creak of his bones, who saved girls and families and the world? Harry, who had Gryffindor as a war banner behind every brave action?

And while we speak of heroes the world spat on, how about Ginny Weasley? Tom stole her breath and heart and mind and she raised an army against him, hell-bound anger rising in every vein.

This is a story about where the heroes aren't heroes and about a house where people value your potential and not who you are.

This is a story about monsters and gods and how thin the line between the two is.

X

It's loud in Diagon Alley and Harry flinches when another hand grabs him, pulling him towards them. All of a sudden, he's in a stranger's arms and they're suffocating him with their thanks. Calling him a hero. He's their hero.

Harry's never been a hero before. He's been Dudley's playtoy and an orphan and a liar and a kid who only raised his arms to fight for others. That doesn't make him a savior. It only makes him very lost and even more determined.

Maybe this is his opportunity.

X

Ginny balanced one leg carefully on the broom and took a deep breath. With a narrowing of her resolute brown eyes., Ginny swung both legs onto the broom and almost stumbled off as her weight and balance fought against each other.

It took a split second and then she was lying on the ground, moaning in pain as she felt the blood gush of her chin and knee. Still, this wasn't going to stop her. Glaring at her injuries, Ginny grabbed the broom and tried again, only to end up back on the ground.

Gritting her teeth, Ginny vowed that she would learn. If not tonight, as soon as she could possibly get her hands on her brother's broom again.

X

Ron Weasley was lying. Harry stared up at the redhead boy who blushed and ducked his head sheepishly and Harry's face softened. So Ron had lied about there being nowhere to sit but it was okay. He had never had anyone to sit with before. Dudley had always scared them away.

"Sure, go ahead," Harry said and Ron grinned brightly. Leaning over to look out the window, Ron waved at the crowd of redheads and Harry stared longingly their exuberant faces. That was his dream, true friends and family.

X

"It's not fair!" Ginny complained, stomping her foot frustratedly. Her mother laughed fondly, patting her head.

"Don't worry dear, you only have another year to go," Her mother smiled down. "Then, the house will be all empty."

Ginny rolled her eyes at her mother's cluelessness. A year was a long time and there was nothing to do but sit around and do the household chores her brothers were free from.

At least she could fly.

X

Harry stared at Hogwarts in shock. The castle loomed ahead of him and he gasped, hearing the same reactions from the three around him. The stone walls were unlike anything he had seen before, grand and towering. The lake gleamed even at night and Harry licked his dry and chapped lips in anticipation.

How had he gotten to this? He had never, not even in his wildest dreams, expected to be this lucky.

X

Harry sat on the stool and felt the hat fall over his ears

"You could be brave," The hat sat and Harry felt his heart grow. His parents had been brave.

"Your parents were more than brave," The hat chided. "They were smart and loyal and cunning and they used all that."

Harry thought of Malfoy's sneer in Diagon and Ron's kindness and the way the twins faces were almost hungry as they watched him. Everyone looked hungry as they watched him.

"You can choose for me then if it doesn't matter," Harry said snarkily and the hat laughed.

"You could be great, Harry Potter."

Harry thought of the silence of his cupboard, Aunt Petunia's pursed lips, his name written in stolen words over a history book.

His parents had been great. They had saved him.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat called.

X

Harry stared around his new room, unable to sleep. Around him, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle snored. Draco Malfoy, who had snorted upon Harry's sorting and then sneered at him throughout dinner, was fast asleep, curtains shut. Blaise had disappeared off to somewhere and never came back.

That left Theodore Nott.

"You know you made the wrong choice, right?' Theodore said casually, stretching on his bed.

Harry stared at the wall, then at Theodore, and back at the wall. "How do you know?"

Theodore shrugged. "You're a Potter and the bloody Boy-Who-Lived. I know Dumbledore likes preaching his "everyone is capable of being good" speech, but most of the snake's parents followed the Dark Lord. It's just the facts. "

Harry ran a hand through his hair in nervousness and willed himself to stop shaking. "Maybe some snakes will follow me this time."

Theodore snorted and flopped onto his back. "Prove yourself worthy and then we'll talk, Saviour."

Harry didn't go to bed for a long time that night.

X

Ginny had been napping under the apple tree when the letter arrived. Ginny rushed from the garden and into the house, throwing open the door and sinking into a chair just as her mom looked up from taking the letter out the owl's claws.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, what have I told you about opening that door?" Her mother scolded.

Ginny barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Sorry, mom. Can I read Ron's letter?"

Molly Weasley huffed but handed the letter over. Ginny grinned and ripped open the seal.

 _Hi Mum, Dad, and Ginny,_

 _I got sorted into Gryffindor, just like I wanted! The hat was barely in my head before it screamed it out. Even Percy said that was fast. It's awesome here, our common room is epic. The twins threatened to prank me in my sleep but I told them I was writing to you and they went away pretty quickly._

 _Remember Harry Potter? He wasn't so lucky. Poor bloke got Slytherin. Still, can't feel too bad for him. He must have done something to get himself put there. I guess Ginny's going to have to find herself a new crush._

 _Anyways, I have to go. Dean Thomas, my new roommate says he's never played wizarding chess and I want to teach him._

 _~Ron_

"Harry Potter got Slytherin," Ginny whispered and her mother gasped.

X

Harry glared down at his tie as he sat tiredly in the common room, working on his potions homework. It had been the worst week of his life. Snape hated him more than even the Dursley's did, someone had hexed his tie to attack him viciously and he had spent four days in the hospital wing.

Now, all he had to do was finish his potions essay and he could go to bed for the rest of the weekend.

"Filthy, ugly, half-blood." Someone whispered and Harry looked up frustratedly. To his surprise and rage, the whispers weren't about him. Instead, Pansy Parkinson was perched on the edge of a couch, scowling at Millicent Bulstrode.

Millicent looked up too, on the edge of tears and Harry sighed.

"No future marriage for her, not with that kind of face." Pansy tittered and Millicent bunched her fists and averted her eyes.

"Shut up, Parkinson," Harry called tiredly and Pansy rolled her eyes.

Sneering at him, Pansy continued. "Aww, how cute. Millicent has an admirer, the golden-boy."

Harry tried to calm down with deep breaths, failed, and lunged at her.

X

Harry woke up to the familiar smell of the hospital wing and groaned to himself. The last thing he wanted to deal with now was Madame Pomfrey's hovering.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Potter," A voice said and Harry turned to find Millicent lying on a nearby cot, homework scattered around her.

Harry decided that not even praying would help him now. "Hello, Millicent."

Millicent rolled her eyes. "Cut the bullshit, Potter. I want to know why you decided to help me."

Harry stared at her for a second and then answered confusedly. "Well, you clearly needed my help. I couldn't have just let Parkinson insult you."

Millicent groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "You really are saintly, Potter… I was hoping you at least had some kind of plan instead of just charging. Well, I guess it just fails to me to think of something for us."

Harry couldn't even dare to dream but could it be— "Us?"

Millicent rolled her eyes but Harry swore he saw a small smile tug at the edge of her lips. "Yes, Potter. Us. I owe you a debt and I intend to repay it."

Harry grinned.

X

Ginny wrote determinedly, pressing the edge of her quill to the scroll until it bled out her words.

"Ginny," her mother said worriedly. "I understand you want to write to Harry but are you sure you're ready for that?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. Her mother just didn't get it, the way Ginny preferred to face her demons. Harry was a hero and if he got Slytherin, there must be a reason for it.

"Yes, I am," Ginny said and watched the owl fly off.

X

"You have mail, Potter." Millicent said quietly, indicating the tired looking owl flying towards the edge of table where the two sat alone.

Harry looked up and grimaced. He hadn't received any mail since the start of the year and he didn't particularly expect that trend to change.

"Are you sure it isn't for you?" Harry asked worriedly.

Millicent snorted. "Please, Potter, as if I'd accept any mail from an owl looking like that. My family already told me to spy on you and it's not like I have many friends."

Millicent had barely finished her sentence when the owl dropped the letter into Harry's food and flew off looking sickly. Both of them winced.

Harry tore the seal and promptly winced again.

Millicent raised an expectant eyebrow. "Well? How bad is it?"

Harry bit his lip. "It's from the Weasley girl… and she's asking why I went into Slytherin."

Millicent grabbed his arm and pulled them both out the great hall. "We need allies. Start writing."

X

Ginny stared down at the letter in her arms apprehensively, biting her lip. She hadn't told her mother. She'd had plenty of opportunities but every time she opened her mouth, it seemed that she couldn't let it out. She, Ginevra Molly Weasley had written her hero and asked him why.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny opened the letter before she could second guess herself again. The handwriting was messy and scribbled, but he had responded and she thought that might be enough.

 _Ginny,_

 _I was surprised to see you had written. I remember you from Platform Nine and 3/4, your mother told me how to get it. I sat with Ron too, but he hasn't talked to me since. He got Gryffindor, but I'm sure you already knew that._

 _I wasn't expecting Slytherin, but the hat told me I could be great and I guess wanting to have a better future was considered ambitious enough? I don't know… it's weird here. Everyone has an agenda. My only friend is Millicent Bulstrode, she's intimidating. I don't know you but if you're anything like your letter, I think you'd get along._

 _You want Gryffindor, right? Since you do have six brothers in it, after all. I wish I had that much family._

 _Thanks for writing. I don't get any mail these days, my aunt and uncle aren't exactly the type to write long and loving letters. The other Slytherins kept making fun of me for it, and well, it was nice to make them eat their words._

 _-Harry_

Ginny looked down at the letter contemplatively. Well, Slytherin or not, Harry Potter seemed… different. He wasn't the storybook hero she had expected.

Still, she couldn't imagine not getting letters at least weekly. Her mother had written to her brothers nearly daily.

Ginny picked up her quill.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _Trust me, you don't want that many siblings. Once, the twins pranked Ron so badly he cried himself to sleep for a week, let me tell you about it…_

 _X_

Harry snorted as he read on the couch of the common room. Several people looked up, annoyed, but soon returned back to what they were doing. Millicent, however, had no shame. Yanking the letter out of his hand, she read it and smirked.

"Well, that explains your constant laughter this week," She said. "Now, will you stop reading and start working?"

Harry sighed but nodded and grabbed his potions textbook. When Millicent wasn't looking, however, he grabbed a fresh scroll and began to write his letter back to Ginny. After all, what Millicent didn't know couldn't hurt her.

Busy with his writing, Harry didn't notice anyone approaching until a shadow fell on him and he looked up.

Daphne Greengrass stood in front of him with her lips pursed and her arms crossed. Theodore Nott stood behind her with a fake smile on his face. Harry sighed internally and lamented the loss of a good afternoon.

"Good morning, Daphne, Theo," Harry said politely. Millicent nodded at both of them.

"Hello, Harry. I was wondering if we could sit?" Daphne asked politely.

Around the room, a few people gasped. Draco Malfoy shot up in his seat. Harry nodded confusedly.

When the two had sat down, Harry asked the question he had been wondering. "Why sit with me, now?"

Daphne smiled politely but Harry saw a flash of anger in her eyes."Well, a Blood traitor can't be married to Draco Malfoy."

Harry winced. He too would rather be hated then marry Malfoy.

"And you?" Millicent suddenly spoke, gesturing towards Theodore.

Theodore Nott rolled her eyes. "I dislike my father and Daphne has a talent for persuasion."

Harry and Millicent exchanged looks. They couldn't exactly look any gift horses in the mouth.

"Are you any good at Herbology?" Harry asked and Daphne smiled so brightly that Harry couldn't resist smiling back.

 _Dear Ginny,_

 _I finally made some more friends: Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Nott. Daphne decided to become a Blood traitor instead of marrying that git Malfoy. Can't blame her._

 _So, what happened to that wild gnome that tried to climb the tree yesterday? Millicent and I placed bets..._

X

Ginny sat under the shade of the apple tree. It was one of those rare hot days where she thought that she might suffocate if she spent even another minute at home.

Ginny frowned. It had been three days since Harry had last written. He never missed more than a day.

Suddenly, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned to see a caramel-coloured owl land beside her. It wasn't Harry's clearly but who else would write to her?

The handwriting was clear and cursive, a sharp contrast from Harry's messy but passionate scribbles. Ginny frowned.

 _Dear Ginevra,_

 _As I'm sure you noticed, Harry has not been able to write these past few days. This is a result of him landing in the hospital wing for attempting to rescue a Gryffindor girl from a troll._

 _The girl in question, Hermione Jean Granger, was in the bathroom crying during the Halloween feast. I am told it is a result of your brother Ronald's actions._

 _She and Harry are both alive and well under Madame Pomfrey's treatment._

 _Best regards,_

 _Millicent Bulstrode_

Ginny's mouth fell open. A troll in Hogwarts? Harry rescuing someone from it? Her brother being responsible for it happening?

Ginny made up her mind. "Mom?" she called.

X

Harry awoke to the sound of quiet whispers.

"Congratulations, Potter," Millicent said with a roll of her eyes. "Against all odds, you're still alive."


End file.
